Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack’s life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard. With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. Words have never failed Jack McCall, but now he’s got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he’s a goner.

A Thousand Words poster

A Thousand Words (2012)

He only has 1000 words left to discover what matters the most.

★ 6.1/10 March 7, 2012 91 min

ComedyDramaFantasy

Director: Brian Robbins  ·  Writer: Steve Koren

Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack’s life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard. With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. Words have never failed Jack McCall, but now he’s got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he’s a goner.

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Trailer

Director

Brian Robbins Brian Robbins

Cast

Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy Jack McCall Kerry Washington Kerry Washington Caroline McCall Cliff Curtis Cliff Curtis Dr. Sinja Clark Duke Clark Duke Aaron Wiseberger Allison Janney Allison Janney Samantha Davis Ruby Dee Ruby Dee Annie McCall Alain Chabat Alain Chabat Christian Leger de la Touffe Jill Basey Jill Basey Woman in Starbucks Greg Collins Greg Collins Construction Worker Edi Patterson Edi Patterson Young Female Agent John Gatins John Gatins Valet Tracy Mulholland Tracy Mulholland Young Student

User Reviews (1)

RalphRahal
RalphRahal February 13, 2025
★ 4/10

A Thousand Words has a solid premise that could have been something special, but the execution feels shallow. The plot is unique and had the potential to explore deeper themes, but instead, it plays things too safe, relying on surface-level humor and predictable emotional beats. The directing feels uninspired, and while the pacing is decent, it never fully leans into the weight of its own concept. Cinematography is standard, nothing particularly memorable, and the visual storytelling doesn’t do much to enhance the narrative. Eddie Murphy delivers a good performance, especially given how much he has to rely on physical expressions rather than dialogue, but the script lets him down. The writing lacks depth, missing opportunities to make the story more impactful. The comedy is fine, though nothing standout, and while there are moments of emotional sincerity, they don’t hit as hard as…